EYFS
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The EYFS is a vitally important stage of children’s early development, as it is during these years that children begin to develop the learning attitudes, skills, social integration and independence on which the rest of their education is built.
We provide high quality, purposefully planned play opportunities that support children as they learn and flourish. Our spacious indoor and outdoor learning areas enable children to be active learners and develop critical thinking skills.
We place equal importance on both the inside and outside environments, ensuring that each area stimulates the children’s imaginations.
Our Foundation Stage is made up of a morning and an afternoon Nursery as well as two Reception classes (Oak class and Walnut class) aged 3 – 5 years, and is known collectively as ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS).
Meet the Early Years Team
Nursery: Mrs Foster (Nursery Manager) , Mrs Saunders, Mrs Osman
Reception: Mrs Harrex (Oak Class Teacher and EYFS Manager) and Mrs Penfold (Walnut Class Teacher)
Our Learning Environment
Our aim is to provide a safe, fun, active and challenging learning environment for all the children who attend Gray’s Farm Primary Academy. We want to promote a purposeful play environment, where children reach their full potential in all areas of learning.
We highly value the positive impact of learning outdoors and the benefits this brings to the health and wellbeing of our children, as well as encouraging them to be more active.
Areas of Learning
In the Foundation Stage children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS). This curriculum is based upon four themes and principles.
The Unique Child - We understand that every child is an individual child who is capable in their own right. The holistic child has a variety of needs that need meeting over their time in the Foundation Stage.
Positive Relationships - Social interaction is key to children’s development. Children become strong, independent learners; as well as scaffolding their learning through positive social interaction.
Enabling Environments - Providing a safe, secure and stimulating base for your children is key to their development. The framework allows for experiences that respond to the child’s individual needs/interests; as well as developing a strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.
Learning and Development - Children develop and learn in different ways. The framework covers the education and care of all children in Early Years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities
The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is divided into two main areas: The Prime Areas of Learning and The Specific Areas of learning. Each area is divided into subcategories. The Prime Areas of learning are vitally important as these provide the basic systems and foundations which are essential to support learning in all the other areas.
The Prime Areas of Learning:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
The Specific Areas of Learning:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The Early Years is where the excitement begins! Reception children learn together in an environment which is developed around the children’s interests. We pride ourselves on being an exciting and engaging place to be, encouraging our children to be independent learners through a range of practical activities. We follow a curriculum which allows us to be creative with our lessons and let the children lead their own learning.
As our Foundation Stage children enter the classroom they learn primarily through a variety of play and real-life experiences.
Our teaching is delivered through carefully planned tasks and independent activities. The children access their environment freely, however they understand they must complete certain activities throughout the day, which will scaffold and extend their learning.
Their development is tracked through observations and child-initiated interaction. This information is then transferred into their learning journeys. We use these to record individual interests, progress and plan the next steps of your child's learning.
Our Values
Gray’s Farm Early Years Curriculum
Reception Phonics and Early Reading
Read Write INC
At Gray’s Farm we aim for all our children to become fluent, confident readers who are passionate about reading.
Children who read regularly, or are read to, have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds! More importantly, reading will give your child the tools to become independent life-long learners. We can achieve this together through:
Read Write Inc, a programme to help to your child read at school
Encouraging children to develop a love of books by reading to them daily, at home and at school
Giving children access to a wide range of books at school and at home
At Gray’s Farm we use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give your child the best possible start with their reading and writing.
Early Reading
At Gray’s Farm we love reading and so do our pupils. We are passionate about instilling a love of reading within our children and we work tirelessly to ensure that reading is a subject they love. Reading takes place continuously throughout the school day, and as well as being taught as an individual subject, you will also see it embedded across all aspects of the curriculum. We try to ensure that our children are heard to read as often as possible. However it is through daily practice at home that children really progress. We will send home a sound blending book to begin with, followed by a reading book and reading diary and ask that you write in your child’s diary whenever you read with them.
Reception Maths Overview
Our Mathematics curriculum is a journey that begins with investigating the construction of numbers to 5. To many parents this may seem odd as a percentage of children will start in Reception being able to recognise numbers to 10 and count by rote to numbers in the teens and further but we actually look in depth at how each number can be made using other numbers, what it looks like both in numeral and with concrete objects and we learn the number bonds that make each number to 5. Once the children are secure with this, we move on to numbers to 10 in exactly the same way.
Once the children have developed their knowledge of number to 10, they move on to applying it through looking at addition and subtraction, finding one more and one less than a given number, odd and even numbers, and finding double and half of a number. The children also have many opportunities to share what they know or can see in an image or representation of a number. This is when the children are able to apply what they know and describe it to another person. It has been proven that children who are secure in this number knowledge and able to explain what they know about a number or a mathematical process when moving into Year 1 find the transition much easier and have no gaps in their learning as they move up through the school because the number knowledge gained in Reception provides the building blocks for the National Curriculum covered in years 1 to 6.
EYFS Transition Information
Please click here to read a copy of the letter that was emailed to all new Reception parents.
You will be given a pack of information at the Reception Parent Welcome meeting.
Transition Dates - Starting Reception 2024/25
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Key Dates |
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School Allocation Day |
16th April 2024 |
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New to Reception Parent Welcome meeting |
11th June 2024 (9.30am - 10.45am) |
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New to Reception Stay and Play (Parents to stay) |
2nd July 2024 (9.30am -10.30 am) or (11am - 12pm) |
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New to Reception Stay and play in small groups (children only) |
10th July 2024 (Timeslots to be shared closer to the time) |
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New to Reception Lunch with your child |
11th July 2024 (1.30pm - 2.30pm) |
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Spend time in your class |
16th July 2024 (1.30 - 2.30pm) |
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Meet the New Teacher and visit the classroom (drop in) |
17th July 2024 (3.20pm until 4.30pm) |
Home visits will be taking place between Thursday 29th August 2024 and Tuesday 3rd September 2024. There will be an oppurtunity when you come in to visit to book a slot.
Milk and Snacks
Milk and fruit/vegetables are provided daily for your child.
Please speak to a member of staff in the office if your child has any dietary concerns
Stay and Play arranged by outside agencies
Two seperate events have been arranged by different companies in the community to facilitate more stay and play sessions. These are free for you attend. Please note; These stay and play sessions are not run or arranged by the school. Pleease contact the details listed if you are interested in attending them.
Friends of Gray’s Farm
Friend’s of Gray’s Farm is the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Gray’s Farm Primary Academy.
We organise fun activities and events for the children (and adults) and fundraise at the same time.
If you would like to be involved in any of the Friends of Gray’s Farm activities please email the following address;
fogf@graysfarm-tkat.org